


In Morte Vita

by DistractedDream



Series: Bleed For You [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Gladnis, M/M, Priest Ignis Scientia, Priest/Vampire AU, Vampire Gladiolus Amicitia, Zine: Parallel Love - Gladnis AU Zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:21:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistractedDream/pseuds/DistractedDream
Summary: Written for Parallel Love zine"What do you want, vampire?"A low, gravelly voice answered him. "Why is it that I must want anything, priest?" From the shadows, the vampire materialized, his broad form stepping clear of the forest’s darkness. He leaned casually against a tree marking the edge of the chapel’s property. "Can I not simply welcome a newcomer to the neighborhood?"
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: Bleed For You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722802
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	In Morte Vita

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is a fic I wrote for _Parallel Love_ from March 2020. I wrote this within what I hope will be a much larger AU. If you'd like to read how Gladio became a vampire, be sure to check out [What I'm Living For](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16475414). There is an [overarching playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qbMs3hDCXeEFRvr4hrCIb?si=x_C0UNSoSDuHAQ7UPTxCdA) for the AU if you're interested.
> 
> A very special thank you to ejbarnes89 for collaborating with me and making two amazing pieces of art for this fic! [You can check them out on Instagram.](https://www.instagram.com/p/CBssrjSjmEz/?igshid=1fruirapvb72e)
> 
> Thank you to GalacticGlaze and SerenityXStar for beta-ing this!
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated and keep me writing! I can be found on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/distractedream) at Distractedream and [Tumblr](https://distracteddream.tumblr.com/), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/distracteddream/), and [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/user/distracteddream?si=_Yuds57lRve_hXzKrEF05Q) at DistractedDream. Enjoy!

Ignis paused on the steps to the chapel. The hair on the back of his neck lifted; the early evening stilled around him, birds and insects both falling unnaturally silent. The priest was no longer alone. With a slow movement of his fingers, he pulled one of his daggers free. Here in the hallowed shadow of the chapel, he would be safe. Daemons couldn’t breach the plane of sacred ground without courting death, though that didn’t mean Ignis wouldn’t prepare himself. The priest turned his head, glancing over his shoulder behind him.

"What do you want, vampire?"

A low, gravelly voice answered him. "Why is it that I must want anything, priest?" From the shadows, the vampire materialized, his broad form stepping clear of the forest’s darkness. He leaned casually against a tree marking the edge of the chapel’s property. "Can I not simply welcome a newcomer to the neighborhood?"

Ignis schooled the surprise away from his features. He’d seen this vampire before, when Ignis had halted an attack on the nearby town. The vampire had ordered his compatriots to retreat and run from the fight though Ignis couldn’t fathom why. Now the vampire sought him out? Peculiar. "Pardon me." Ignis turned to face the vampire fully, taking a confident step away from the chapel and gesturing toward its doors with his dagger. "I must have forgotten my manners. Let me offer you some hospitality. If you would simply come inside..."

The vampire grinned wide at the priest’s sass, his fangs visible. He made no movement from his tree, as though they were only new acquaintances having an evening chat. "You're a clever one. What's your name?"

Ignis frowned, brows drawing down low behind his spectacles. He'd certainly never conversed with daemons, prior exchanges having only been threats heated with adrenaline from battle. This interaction lacked any hint of anger or even annoyance. The priest’s eyes narrowed. Did this creature think to intimidate him? Or perhaps have him lower his guard? It was odd behavior, to be sure. "Father Ignis Scientia, though if you intend to use that information to attack my family, I will save you the trouble. They are all dead, killed by your kind." Was that a moment of sympathy passing over the vampire's eyes? It could not be. Daemons didn't have regrets or familial bonds. Ridiculous. "And yours? Perhaps I'll be able to tell your family what became of you."

"Such confidence for one so young," the vampire taunted. He crossed his left arm over his chest, fist over his heart, and executed a perfectly smooth courtly bow to the priest. "Gladiolus Amicitia, son of Clarus, brother to Iris who, I understand, has taken up the role of Shield in my absence and earned her own name as the Daemon Slayer." Gladiolus didn't miss how Ignis paled at his name, the priest backing away into the safety of the chapel’s shadow. The vampire straightened, a flick of his head tossing his hair away from his face. "Now, I will save  _ you  _ some trouble, pretty little priest; my family is well-aware of what happened to me."

Damn this vampire. Ignis could feel his face heating at the compliment, though he wouldn't give Gladiolus the satisfaction of further reaction. The Amicitia vampire. He had heard rumors, but admittedly half-believed they were simply stories told so none would have to face the reality that the Amicitia son had fallen. The truth stood before him, undeniable, and… and flirting with him. Ignis pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. At least it explained why this daemon was so strange. "Why darken my doorstep then?" he asked, giving in to his curiosity.

"Forgotten already? To welcome you." Gladiolus moved closer, the toes of his boots edging the line of sacred ground. "And to warn you. You'll find our goals are not that different. We can work together. All I ask is for you to leave those of my clan alone."

"How can I do that?" Ignis shook his head and gestured to the vampire with his dagger. "You and your clan kill us if we're lucky, turn us into daemons if we aren't." Gladiolus scowled, Ignis' heart rate picking up with an animalistic instinct of danger. "I'll not ignore the murders of my parishioners simply because you asked."

A fierce wind tore through the woods at Gladiolus’ back, whipping his hair and cloak around him. Ignis threw his arms in front of his face as the wind battered him. The vampire’s voice carried clearly over the sound of the wind, speaking as though he were whispering in his ear as a lover might. "You have a lot to learn, priest. For your sake, I hope you're a quick study."

By the time the wind lessened, Ignis wasn't surprised to find Gladiolus gone.

A few weeks later, Ignis found himself coated to the elbows in the black blood of vampires, his cassock hanging heavy around his ankles with ichor from those he had slain. The information he'd been given indicated a small nest of vampires in the caves above a nearby village and Ignis intended to have a stern talk with Takka later on what constituted "small". Twenty vampires was not “small”. He dragged his forehead against his arm to wipe sweat away, strands of hair sticking to his face where it had fallen with the exertion of the fight. From the corner of his eye, he caught a flurry of movement, a vampire low to the ground, dashing for freedom. He almost let it go; dawn was approaching and the likelihood of the daemon not immolating itself was slim. At the last moment, Ignis spun on his heel, throwing his dagger into the air and kicking it so it would be embedded into the vampire's back.

An impressive move, one Gladiolus didn’t have time to appreciate the way he’d been the rest of Ignis’ fight. He’d come to take care of this nest himself, these vampires hunting and turning the local villagers indiscriminately, something Gladiolus would not allow. He had approached the cave as a wolf, remaining in his wolfskin as he heard the sounds of the fight and creeping closer to observe Ignis cutting through the nest alone. It had been just as fascinating as the first time he’d seen Ignis wielding fiery blades, though at least this time, it was not his clan being attacked. Gladiolus had been content to watch until he saw one of the nest break free, the little body heedlessly running away from Ignis. Gladiolus’ veins ran cold; a vampire child, marked for death by the dagger Ignis aimed at his back. Gladiolus lunged forward to block the blade, growling as it sliced into his shoulder.

Ignis' mouth fell open as the blade sank, not in his target's spine, but into the flank of a large dark wolf, one now glaring at him with bared teeth as it curved its body protectively in front of the escaping vampire. Ignis drew his polearm, bracing his feet as he faced down the beast. He didn't falter as the wolf’s form shifted, the beast's snarl shortening but no less fierce replicated on Gladiolus’ face, Ignis' dagger lodged in his shoulder as he crouched on the ground. Behind him, the other vampire had stopped, looking nervously between them. Gladiolus reached back without looking away from the priest, welcoming the vampire into the shelter of his good shoulder.

...a child. The small vampire pressed into Gladiolus’ side was no more than a child. Ignis blanched, but held his ground. If this nest had turned a child, then he'd done the Gods' work in eradicating them. He steadied his grip on his weapon, aiming the tip at Gladiolus’ throat.

Gladiolus grit his teeth and pulled Ignis' dagger free to toss it at the priest’s feet. "You kill children now? Thought I was the monster."

Ignis shook his head, denying Gladiolus’ words. "The child is dead. I'm here for the daemon using that innocent's body." Ignis took a step closer, his polearm hovering mere inches from Gladiolus’ throat. "And you, if you try to stop me."

"You really don't understand, do you?" Gladiolus tipped his face down to the child, wiping away the little one’s frightened tears and ignoring the priest’s threat. Ignis had thought himself inured to any daemon's ploys, but the sight of a child crying had his resolve wavering. He hadn't even known daemons could cry and yet, like Gladiolus' existence, it was another truth he found tossed in his face. Gladiolus' voice carried to Ignis as he spoke soothingly to the child. "You're going to come with me. I'm going to care for you and be your new clan leader."

"You cannot. I will not allow-,” the priest started.

Gladiolus pressed the young vampire to his chest, cupping his hand over the little one's ear as he roared at the priest. "A child!" Ignis staggered back, his polearm held across his body defensively. "This is a child, Ignis! Even if he participated in his clan’s actions, he is still innocent. He had no better guidance. You cannot kill him simply for existing!"

The priest lowered his weapon. Even with his rage directed to him, Gladiolus made no move to attack Ignis. Any violence was something Ignis himself seemed to be provoking by antagonizing the vampire. The child. Ignis sighed through his nose, offering a quick prayer to the Titan. "What do you intend to do with it then? Provide that better guidance?"

"Yes. And if he,” the vampire stressed the pronoun and shame caught the priest by surprise. “If he will not abide by my rules, then I will handle it. Not you." Gladiolus shifted his weight, grimacing as he tried to move his shoulder, black blood still dripping from the wound. "Damn. What was on that blade?"

He had no obligation to answer. He could most likely get past Gladiolus and abandon this conversation. As Ignis stooped down to collect his dagger, wiping it clean on his ruined cassock, he noted Gladiolus had been angered at the danger to the young vampire, not at the multitude of older vampires desiccating around them. A threat to one vampire was a threat to all and Ignis was clearly a threat. Yet Gladiolus had only defended the vampire child, not avenged the fallen of his kind. Ignis holstered his dagger and collapsed his polearm to thread it into the brace on his back. Ignis reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glowing vial, stepping nearer to offer it to Gladiolus. "I coat my blades in the Tears of the Blessed Mother Shiva, may she watch over all her children." Ignis nodded toward the wound he’d unintentionally inflicted, an almost regretful look on his face. "I imagine it stings." Gladiolus snorted in response. "Take this. Break it over the wound. It should help." The vampire's eyes narrowed, rightfully skeptical. Ignis held the potion steady, never looking away. "If I wished you harm, wouldn't I have taken advantage of your injury by now? Take it. Please."

Hours later, bone weary but clean, Ignis would lie in his bed, contemplating why it had been so important to have Gladiolus accept the potion, to trust him, and his relief when the vampire had closed his hand over the priest's to take the bottle. He refused to dwell on the awe he felt when Gladiolus had shifted back into his wolfskin, walking away with the vampire child and only a hint of a limp. Ignis groaned, forcing himself out of bed. Penance. He would need to do penance for assisting a daemon. That would quiet his mind.

He'd be doing more penance, it seemed, as he sat in the tavern some days later across from the very creature he'd sworn to kill. Ignis had come to gather information on potential hunts, securing a table in a darkened corner where the appearance of the local priest would pass unnoticed. At least, it had been unnoticed by most until a shadow fell over his meal. A proposition, Gladiolus had said, a hunt for a vampire clan originating from Niflheim. Most clans would find a protected place and settle once established. However, this clan was behaving strangely, decimating smaller towns, pushing the human populations into an exodus, and then moving to the next town to repeat the process. Ignis had caught wind of this, letters from home mentioning the influx of refugees, the strain on resources creating an untenable situation. The priest sat back from the table, taking a long drink of his coffee as he considered Gladiolus' offer of working together to determine the clan's motive and, if needed, exterminate them.

Ignis set his mug onto the table. "What you are asking of me violates almost every oath I've sworn to the Gods. Daemons don't have motives. They kill. This clan is simply devouring everything in sight and moving on when there is no one left to eat." He held up his hand as Gladiolus opened his mouth to contradict the priest's assessment. "Their reasoning does not matter to me; their actions do. If no other hunters have stopped them, then that is a cause for concern." Ignis pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "With that noted, it would be foolish of me to reject your help. However, I will extract a vow from you. When we need to fight these daemons, and I know we will, you must swear you will not hesitate." His gaze turned piercing, locking onto Gladiolus'. "I need to know you will have my back in this fight. As you should know I will have yours, Gladiolus."

The priest extended his hand across the table. His eyes widened at the unexpected warmth of the vampire's hand as it gripped his wrist. Ignis' fingers curled around Gladiolus' in return, the vampire nodding. "Make sure you have plenty of those little magic bottles on you and we should be fine." The vampire pulled his hand away slowly, as though they were both reluctant to let the other go. "How quickly can you be ready?"

"I can be prepared on the morrow. In the evening, of course."

Thus Ignis found himself at the edge of the churchyard at dusk the following day with his saddlebag at his feet. He didn’t anticipate being away for long, the clan having been spotted within 25 miles recently, but he would much prefer a change of clothes, especially after a battle. His weapons were strapped about his person along with a few curatives. More curatives were stored in the bag, the weight of which was enough to delay him from strapping it across his horse's back until they would be leaving. He turned to face the dying light on the horizon, closing his eyes as he basked in the day’s last warmth.

"You look like a cat."

The light slipped away and in the gloaming, the priest opened his eyes to find Gladiolus stroking the muzzle of Ignis' horse. "You're as quiet as one." He cocked his head as he watched the daemon. The vampire wore a tender smile as he spoke softly to the horse and Ignis felt some dark, treacherous part of himself take note of how handsome Gladiolus was in the half-light. He cleared his throat, an attempt to divert his thoughts from that path. "Do you ride?"

"I did. In the Glaives." He patted the horse's neck and stepped back as Ignis settled his bag over the horse. "Need a boost?"

"No." Ignis placed his foot in the stirrup and kicked his leg over, cassock flaring out over the saddle as he sat. He gave the vampire a curious look. "Will you be able to keep up?"

The sharp grin the vampire gave him sent a not necessarily unpleasant shiver down Ignis' spine. "Oh, don't you worry about me, pretty priest. I'll manage."

Anything Ignis would have said to that died as Gladiolus' form shifted, the eartips on the black wolf almost reaching as high as his horse's shoulder. His hands tightened on the reins, expecting the horse to startle, but to his consternation, the beast didn't even react. Amber eyes seemed to smirk up at him, far too knowing for a normal wolf. Ignis huffed and straightened in the saddle. Of course. The vampire had let the horse have his scent so as to recognize him when he shifted. "Clever."

Gladiolus' soft bark sounded like laughter to Ignis' ears, his horse whinnying in response. "Traitor," Ignis muttered, setting his heels into its flanks and nudging it forward.

Dawn edged the horizon once more as Ignis stumbled wearily into the cave Gladiolus had found them. They had slain most of the Nif clan before pulling back to find safe harbor before the sun arose. Ignis sighed as the weight of his bloodied cassock fell from his shoulders, his trousers and shirt underneath still dirty but not nearly as bad as the cassock. He slipped his glasses off and swiped his hair from his brow as Gladiolus entered the cave behind him. Just as it had on the chapel steps, the hair on the back of the priest's neck stood up, feeling the weight of Gladiolus' gaze on him. He turned, daggers now remaining holstered as the vampire approached.

The priest thought they should analyze the information they'd learned about the Nifs. He thought he should compliment Gladiolus on his fighting skills, remark on how well their styles meshed into one cohesive unit. He thought he should thank him for having his back and be thanked in return. He thought he should make a fire before he collapsed in exhaustion. Ignis thought of many things before Gladiolus took him in his arms and kissed him. Then, looping his arms over the vampire's shoulders and eagerly returning the kiss, the priest had one more thought.

The penance was so going to be worth the sin.


End file.
